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Viewpoint: Why we need male birth control
Men are the new women - well, sort of. The role men play in society is changing just as much as that of their female counterparts. In the social aspect, women are joining the workforce, and men are becoming more prominent in the home (thus, the creation of the "stay-at-home dad").
In science, men have become more visible too. With DNA testing for paternity, finding the father of a baby is a swab away in most cases. Amid national debates about abortion and women's fertility choices, we tend to forget the other half of the situation: men. In 1960, women inadvertently became the focus of contraceptive studies with the invention of The Pill, the first hormonal contraceptive to make it to the market. Although many tout this and subsequent methods of female birth control - the shot, the patch, the ring, the implant, the morning-after pill - as "freedom" for women, we should examine how free this "freedom" is and what we can do to level the playing field. The pill, the patch and the ring cost anywhere from $20 to $50 per month. Plan B, the most widely available emergency contraceptive, costs about $40 at most drug stores. A shot of Depo-Provera, which lasts for three months, costs between $40 and $70. More often than not, women must pay these prices on their own. Soon, however, there might be another option. Right now the only birth control choices for men extend to condoms, vasectomies and abstinence. Several new types of male contraceptives, many very similar to their female predecessors, could be on the market within the next two to three years. Male birth control not only gives men the option of preventing unintended pregnancies, but also lets them share the cost and the responsibility of contraception. Doctors worry whether men will be able to deal with the contraceptive's side effects, which clinical trials thus far show to include headaches and dizziness - no different than the symptoms one gets after a night of drinking. Symptoms of the female pill tend to be much more severe, including depression and blood clots, which could lead to heart attacks. The Texan strives to present all information fairly, accurately and completely.
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Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 13
anonymous
posted 6/20/07 @ 7:42 AM CST
This is stupid. Do you realize that additional male contraceptives will lead to more unplanned pregnancies and an increase in STIs. More women will falsely trust that their male counterpart is using some sort of birth control only to find out after the fact that they simply lied to get them in the sack. (Continued…)
Pleasegodno
posted 6/20/07 @ 11:41 AM CST
I agree with 8:42
anonymous II
posted 6/20/07 @ 3:42 PM CST
Believe me, 8:42 and 12:41--women would know better than to trust a man who claims to be using the pill. The male pill would have several advantages. First, it would make it less easy for a woman to lie to a man about her own use of contraceptives so that she could get pregnant without his knowledge. (Continued…)
Tyger
posted 6/20/07 @ 4:19 PM CST
I don't know that I would be quite so sure about the STD's not slipping thru. "Dry" may not mean entirely and totally dry. All it takes is one little virus. (Continued…)
Kyle
posted 6/20/07 @ 6:04 PM CST
I just have to wonder what goes through someone's mind for them to write about the need for male birth control. Is this really the most important thing you could think of to write? Perhaps therapy might help you overcome your issues with men. (Continued…)
Amanda
posted 6/21/07 @ 10:55 AM CST
I think you guys are just afraid of what might happen if YOU actually have to be responsible for preventing unwanted pregnancies! There are a lot of women out there that can't take birth control for various reasons, and male birth control could be - quite literally - a life saver. (Continued…)
Curiepoint
posted 6/21/07 @ 12:51 PM CST
As a man, I wouldn't hesitate to take a male birth control pill. I welcome it's development as it's arrival has been too long in coming. I think of it as insurance. (Continued…)
Jake
posted 10/02/07 @ 9:51 AM CST
As a male and a single Dad, I have been waiting almost 15 years for them to figure out a product for guys. My daughter was born while the mother was on the pill, so to say that a guy can't be trusted in not always true. (Continued…)
mavericktradingco@ya
Mario Martinez
posted 10/02/07 @ 1:23 PM CST
Why we need male birth control
Fellow Horns, does anyone real need to be told why we need male birth control? Ok, I'll give, how about cause we don't want to keep it in our pants. (Continued…)
infomaven
posted 10/24/07 @ 3:55 PM CST
I think that for too long the burden has been placed on women to prevent unwanted pregnancies.
A product such as this gives men an opportunity to actively participate and protect themselves from paternity suits and "mistakes". (Continued…)
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